She says her govt wants to cement ties with global economic powers
Voicing her high optimism that the good ties between the UK and Bangladesh will reach a new height with her recent visit to the European country, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Saturday said her government’s goal is to further strengthen and cement its relationship with all global economic powers.
“I think this tour has been very successful and fruitful towards economic and social development of Bangladesh, and through this the good relationship of the two countries would reach a new height,” she said.
The Prime Minister was addressing a press conference on the outcome of her three-day official visit to the UK on July 21-23 to attend the first-ever Girl Summit 2014.
Hasina visited the UK at the invitation of her British counterpart David Cameron and Unicef Executive Director Anthony Lake. This was Hasina’s first visit to any European country after the January-5 election.
Mentioning that the previous five years of the AL government was a milestone in improvement of regional and international relationship, she said, “We’re maintaining its continuity. I’ve already visited Japan and China and those were very significant and fruitful for Bangladesh. Not only Japan or China, our goal is to further strengthen and make permanent our relationship with all economic powers of the world.”
In this connection, Hasina said her government is very much active compared to the past to improve its bilateral relations with various countries of the world.
Asked about the real stance of the UK government over the January-5 election, the Prime Minister referred to her meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron at 10 Downing Street on July 22 saying that the British PM opined that whatever happened over the January-5 election like uncontested or participatory was past.
Hasina said Cameron did not want to look back as he has expressed his forward-looking attitude. She said it is natural that there could be discussions over election in the context of talks.
“But, he (Cameron) was forward-looking leader and he didn’t want to look back and the issue of participatory or uncontested election could take place at any time of discussion,” she said.
Hasina went on saying, “He (Cameron) didn’t reject the election, didn’t say I’m not the Prime Minister. If so, he (Cameron) didn’t invite me time and again and request me over phone,” she added.
In this connection, the Prime Minister questioned, “What’s the interest of those in engaging in bad campaign against the country,” she added.
She also alleged that a vested quarter cannot tolerate as the country’s people are now living in peace and the country is moving towards development after the January-5 election.
Hasina said Bangladesh is moving fast on the superhighway of development as many countries across the globe as well as the United Nations are now considering Bangladesh as the role model of development.
“Bangladesh is now standing on a strong economic base as we’ve been able to maintain the continuity of democracy in the country. Despite the global economic recession, the economy of Bangladesh is now stable and the positive trend in every indexes of the macro economy is continuing.
Highlighting various achievements and successes of her government in various fields, including the maritime boundary verdicts over Myanmar and India, Hasina said her government wants a war criminal-, militant-free democratic Bangladesh.
She said the trial of war criminals is going on while the verdicts are being executed. “And those will be completed, Insha Allah.”
Hasina also renewed her firm resolve to build a mid-income country by 2021 imbued with the spirit of the War of Liberation as well as a prosperous developed country by 2041 to build ‘Sonar Bangla’ as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Highlighting some salient features of her UK tour, Hasina said that apart from holding talks with the British Prime Minister, she addressed at the high-level plenary of First ever Girl Summit, 2014 where she declared to stop completely child marriage under 15 in Bangladesh by 2021 as well as lowering girl marriage aged between 15-18 to one-third by the same given time.
During her meeting with Cameron, Hasina said her British counterpart affirmed his government’s commitment to continue support with the government of Bangladesh.
She also mentioned her meeting with Unicef Executive Director Anthony Lake, Minister for State of DFID Desmond Swayne, Shadow Foreign Minister Douglas Alexander, All Party Parliamentary Group (AAPG) led by Lord Sheikh, Home Affairs Parliamentary Committee chairman of British House of Commons and Labour party MP Keith Vaz, attending the iftar party of expatriates Bangladeshi living in UK, her interview with BBC World Service and BBC Bangla.
Source: UNB
